Leaderboard

I hope we are talking photos here and not what went into trap 2! Regards Richard

Kaolin, Thanks for the words of encouragement. The reason for the failure with easitrac point contstruction was propably impatience on my part. I found the seperate chairs too fiddly to slide on the rail properly and went through about half a dozen sprues for one point. The when glued down the whole thin just felt too fragile to last. I am happy with copper clad contruction having built serveral 7mm points with this method, although I have moved onto timber sleepering with Exactoscale (now C&L finescale - www.finescale.org.uk ) Chairs. I quite enjoy the process of point building although I am looking forward to the reduced amount of filing in 2mm as compared with 7mm! Nick, Thanks for the support. Pete, you are the guilty party! not just for this blog, but your 7mm adventures were one of the blogs on here to stop my dreaming of infinite space and get and build something in 7mm in the space I had available. So thanks for the unknown boot up the Jacksey! In answer to your question, the boxfile will house the layout, essentially 2 boards of half boxfile width, either hinged or plugged together, the fiddle yard will fold under one of the boards. I hope to post tomorrow along with some pictures and drawing which will hopefully explain more (have pity, they won't be as neat as yours, I am only an ex QS!). I have a roughed out pencil plan and a templot version underway.

Well done, a neat job - even though I was never happy with the Thompson pacifics..

Remarkable... even if it hurts to look at it . Seriously though thats fantastic work.

Must admit I'm not a great fan of the lined out black on panniers either, much prefer the unlined black livery. As far as I am aware I never saw a lined out pannier in service when I was a spotty faced youth taking numbers in a little book! Come to think of it I can't remember any green ones either! There again it's been over 50 years since I saw the last one in BR service! (good grief am I really that old?) Cheers Frank

I use Fairy Power Spray for all sorts of paint removal, i have also used the Phoenix one and the fairy is generally better, plus it costs less. I have not encountered the reaction you got before though. Results look very good. I suspect that if the whole rake is the same brown and cream it will look "right" anyway, regardless of tonal variation in the original. Plus photos are not 100% reliable as the camera will produce different colour interpretation to the eye anyway.

Mmm, yes, Anneka... But this is a great post because it shows modelling as it happens and that people's efforts don't always look like Liverpool Lime Street or Manchester Central (which are fantastic but can be demotivating). Most of my efforts look like your Goods Shed Mark 1, so full marks for telling it like it is!

Thanks Stephen! I've read that Power Spray can be used on Resin without any issues. I tested it out on an old body first and it even fetched off a layer of Halfords Primer without any effect on the plastic. The only thing I would say is get some gloves, as it does dry out the skin with prolonged contact. Thanks Rich! The problem now, and as you can see from the photo of the real coach, is that the next one is a different colour brown again! Although given my track record its only a matter of time before it gets repainted in a different scheme anyway! Thanks James! Thanks Stuart! I've always said that if I can do it, anyone can! Cheers Pete! I wonder what she though I was painting! I think even Halfords will struggle with a match for Mk1 roof dark grey though! Cheers all, Tom.

I would suggest sneaking extra sleepers in now in the key areas around the crossing and the toe. In these critcial areas it would be better to have more control of the gauge and the top. Regarding the rail steel rail will be harder to straighten than the nickel silver. Basically you try to put the opposite curve into the rail to end up with it fairly straight. If you have less sleepers and the rail is not stright enough you could have problems with the gauge, with the rail curving between the sleepers. Don

You need to make sure you've got a sleeper supporting the crossing nose (the sharp end of the 'V') - looking at your diagram, I don't think this is the case. Good luck with the steel rail - others have used it to great effect, but I couldn't get on with it, and now get my rail from Marcway as David has noted above. Andy

Code 40 bullhead from Marcway is even better. It is straight both horizontally and vertically. David

the coiled rail is very hard to make straight invest in the 500m length of bullhed it makes life so much easier been there tried that and easitac points get easier the 2nd attempt, I would recomend the new track book it is well worth the money and full of tips and how do I's NIck